Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  2005 Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By JP - September 24 - 9:13 pm

  I have had my Equinox for a month. I have always bought Chevys, but am slightly dissapointed in this one. The ride is good, albeit a little too much wind noise on the drivers side. The front seats dont seem "full" size, and the gas mileage is not up to par (18mpg local/20 hwy, AC off!).

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  Ill let you decide - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Mathias - September 24 - 3:15 pm

  Well i have owned this car for a while now and I have gotten what i wanted out of it. It stills drives okay but the motor is starting to knock with 150,000 miles on it. It goes where ever I want it to but i had to put some money in it to keep it that way. It always starts and runs without incident and has decent power for a 6 cylinder. Biggest complaint, the heater core is bad!!! No heat in the winter is tough and I have to flush it every year just to get a little heat for the start of the season. By mid winter its bad again. Also, no 4-wheel drive! Thats the number one reason i bought it and now it doesnt work either. Looking for a new SUV but dont know what to get. I love a Chevy.

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  locked in - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By apache - September 24 - 12:00 am

  With the doors locked and the windows up if you lose the battery contact on either side negative or positive you are locked in. If someone tries the door handle to free you it will not work. I was lucky the window down at the bank drive thru and had to use the key on the outside of the door to unlock. Something GM didnt tell the 99 silverado owners. Also, the stock battery bolts are to short for a good bite into the threads on the battery. I replaced both with longer thread bolts. A friend of mine put in a sliding rear window for a exit just in case. Checked with local dealer and of course the answer was "I aint heard of that before".

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  2004 Impala LS - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By royallouis - September 23 - 10:00 am

  Love the Chevy Impala ls ,other than the boring front grill.Handling is surprising for big sedan.Looks good and reliable.May be a little room for improvement but otherwise am delighted

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  Quiet and Comfortable - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By BB - September 22 - 8:36 pm

  This is not a performance sedan but is quite comfortable and smooth on the road. There is a slight amount of delay in acceleration when starting to push the pedal. This car has plenty of pep but the styling is good but not great. Not a flashy car but most buyers want a performer that gets good mileage and this car does that well. If you want a big car with comfort and economy this is your ride!

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  Love Hate Relationship - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Andrew - September 22 - 7:27 pm

  Like everyone else I have had issues. Just under 2 years the tires needed to be replaced. Wheel bearings were replaced under warranty and now that warranty is done need to be replaced again. There is a knock in the gas tank because something is loose. While driving on highway front console shuts off. No speedometer, tach etc. Problems with transmission. Seems to shift into neutral while driving. Cheap windshield wipers, all replaced after 2 years. Windshield chips and cracks very easily... poor design.. Headlight needed to be replaced after 3 years. Blind spots are very big and you need to be careful... Use your mirrors Key constantly sticks in ignition.

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  Great Car! - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By BB - September 22 - 8:54 am

  Got the LT with luxury pkg. Love the smooth ride and handling. The interior looks great.Drove 600 mile trip the first week and go over 30mpg. The trunk space is awesome,esp. with the folddown rear seats. Can handle 4 golf bags. The Bose sound system is amazing,esp with the XM music. OnStar with the turn-by-turn option is wonderful,eliminates the need for GPS. Would recommend getting the upgrade package as it eliminates 90% of the complaints mentioned in the other reviews.

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  My New Gold Cobalt - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Linda - September 21 - 9:50 pm

  I am very diappointed in the interior design , the headrests are very uncomfortable in the cloth, makes your hair stick to it. We turned them around. The sun roof tinting is very light, have to close the shield in the afternoon, not what I paid extra for. The arm rest on the door should not be cloth, soils to easily, center one makes it hard to fasten seatbelts. And to adjust the seats there isnt much room to put you hand between the door and the seat. I think that covers my problems with interior design.

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  loosing value fast - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By chiapa - September 21 - 12:41 pm

  Nice car but it does not stand to its name, perfect rental car but no to keep it for a long time, got 32 mpg on high way with plenty of power. Will trade soon for something better before Im to far upside down on value.

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  Good Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jason - September 20 - 8:26 pm

  I bought the Equinox over 1 year ago and have over 26K miles. Here are my thoughts: a) The gas mileage is a disappointment. I get about 18-20 driving about 90% highway miles. b) It drives more like a truck (feels heavy) but rides like a car. c) It is VERY roomy. d) The interior quality inferior to Honda/Toyota, but better than prior Chevy models. e) Ive been in the shop A LOT (tailgate recall, CD Changer, Front Strut Assy, rear differential, antennae holder 2x) but I also had an accident with my nox in late 2004 which might have cause other problems. I also got one of the first models.